What is "arimanius"

Arimanius (; ) is a name for an obscure deity found in a few Greek literary texts and five Latin inscriptions. In Greek texts, Areimanios, with variations, seems to refer to the Persian Ahriman, in the context of “ Zoroastrianism” as interpreted by the Greeks and Romans. The Latin inscriptions occur in a Mithraic context that suggest a redefined or different deity.

The most extended passage in classical literature on Areimanios is found in the treatise Isis and Osiris (46–47) by Plutarch, who presents him as the dark or evil side in a dualistic opposition with Oromazes (for Ohrmuzd or Ahura Mazda). He is also mentioned in other texts as an evil daimon, “the worst spirit”, or even equated with Satan as the adversary. In the Mithraic context, the name seems unlikely to refer to an evil entity.